Ken, we still have a minivan (a 99 Ford Windstar). It is incredibly, annoyingly, practical. For utility-driven satisfaction, you simply cannot beat it.
Personally, I think they are MUCH better where it counts than a crossover or SUV. Do not overlook the absolute bliss of a sliding door in a parking lot. You and everyone else can simply get in and out much more easily than with a conventional swinging door.
Sure, we often make the foghorn sound when navigating the SS Tuttle Ferryboat, but that thing has taken us all over the western US in comfort.
If I were going to buy a minivan, I would not consider anything except the Honda and Toyota. I have a colleague with a brand-new Chrysler Town and Country, and it is luxurious but buggy. I don't trust Dodge.
I don't know how those newer, nicer models are configured. I found that having separate climate zones for the front and rear made a big difference for us. It might be standard nowadays.
I'm probably useless on the AWD question. I know that's too big a premium for where I live.
It's okay. Really. It's the right thing to do. You're living the American Dream.
